Water / Weeding / Caravan gone - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Sunday 19 November, 2023

by Rosemary at 3:33pm in Smallholding 1 comment Add your own

Monday 13^th November

Wet. Office day.

Tuesday 14^th November

I had two appointments in the diary today. Both were cancelled. It’s like getting an extra day. Still wet.

Made biscuits. Turned thoughts to Yule. I think crackers are a watse of money so I've bought little favours boxes, one for everyone and i"ll fill it with little gifts and sweets. Today I bought some locally made goats milk soap. I'll put a packet of seed in each too, and some homemade sweets or biscuits.

Wednesday 15^th November

Finally managed to get Diesel to the vet for his annual check up. He’s lost 200g; feeling a bit paranoid, so will take him back in six months for a weight check. He protested with every breath on the journey there and back.

Home is very flooded.

Flooded Home.

Sheepfold looks well; it’s our driest field. I’m saving ir for the cows and calves at turnout in May. It will be guarded until then.

Sheepfold - saved for cows and calves in the Spring.

Near Ditch.

Ditch.

Thursday 16^th November

Is there a happier sight than two corgi butts?

Bryn and Gwenna.

Friday 17^th November

A few dry days and the water levels have dropped; the Council did quite a lot of dredging at the far end of our ditch and it’s made a real difference. It was running well today.

Near Ditch -  still wet but better than Wednesday.

Level dropped in the ditch and running well.

The ponies get to loaf about on the track for a few hours. Using the trees as a scratch post is Smokey’s favourite thing.

Smokey scratching, and Gracie.

I took the barrow up to clean out the field shelter. Not much sign of use.

Unused field shelter.

Saturday 11th November

Back to the byre / classroom tidy up –  Dan cleared up the area outside the barn. WE are now in the novel situation of being able to open the door properly.

Barn pile tidied.

I had to leave Dan to do the box of cables. Years of accumulation. Either that or they're breeding. Not quite finished – we have a load of stuff to sell / give away.

The cable colony.

Dan got the plastic down on three of the six raised beds. Of the other three, one has leeks and brassicas, one has strawberries, raspberries and blueberries and one has rhubarb and comfrey, so they’ll just be weeded. We’re going to lift and split some of the rhubarb, taking out the couch and ground elder before replanting.

Vegetable garden in hibernation.

Sunday 19^th November

Andy came over so he and Dan split and stacked wood; Dan chain sawed bits first thing.

Smokey and Skip shared a hay net.

Skip and Smokey, sharing.

I weeded. Only about 5m left to do, but I had to get ready to go to the football. Fingers crossed for dry for at least long enough to get it finished.

And a new smallholder came and took away our caravan henhouse. Happy and a bit relieved that he managed to get it out safely, with little damage to the grass.

Caravan gone.